Is HIIT Good for Fatigue During Perimenopause?
Perimenopause fatigue is bone-deep and persistent. HIIT can help restore energy, but only if you approach it correctly. Here is how to use it when you are already running on empty.
Perimenopause Fatigue: More Than Just Tiredness
Perimenopause fatigue is qualitatively different from ordinary tiredness. It is a pervasive, heavy exhaustion that sleep does not fully resolve. Multiple factors converge to produce it: disrupted sleep from night sweats and insomnia, hormonal fluctuations that affect cellular energy production, declining thyroid function in some women, anaemia from heavy periods, and the cumulative mental load of managing symptoms that nobody around you may understand. For many women, fatigue is the symptom that most significantly affects their quality of life, work performance, and relationships. Understanding its causes is the first step to managing it effectively.
Can Exercise Really Help When You Are Exhausted?
The idea of doing high-intensity exercise when you are chronically fatigued feels paradoxical and frankly unappealing. But there is robust evidence that regular vigorous exercise actually increases energy levels over time, even when it feels impossible to start. Exercise improves mitochondrial function, the cellular machinery responsible for producing energy, and it enhances cardiovascular efficiency, meaning your body requires less effort to perform daily activities. The key distinction is between acute fatigue, feeling tired on a given day, and the chronic energy deficit of perimenopause, which regular HIIT can meaningfully address over weeks of consistent practice.
The Risk of HIIT for Severe Fatigue
HIIT is demanding. If your fatigue is severe and you are sleeping fewer than five hours a night due to night sweats, or if you have unaddressed thyroid or anaemia issues, jumping into intense training can worsen the situation by further depleting cortisol reserves and impairing recovery. Before increasing exercise intensity, it is worth addressing the underlying causes of your fatigue where possible. Speak to your GP if your fatigue is severe. Get blood tests to rule out thyroid dysfunction, anaemia, and vitamin D deficiency. Treat sleep disruption as a priority. Then introduce HIIT gradually from a baseline that has some stability.
How to Start HIIT When You Have Low Energy
Begin with one HIIT session per week of no more than 20 minutes. Use a conservative intensity: 70 to 75 percent of maximum heart rate rather than the 85 to 90 percent that more advanced protocols use. Monitor how you feel in the 24 and 48 hours following the session. If you feel noticeably better, more energetic, clearer-headed, and more positive, that is a green light to add a second session after two weeks. If you feel worse or your sleep degrades, scale back to gentler exercise for another few weeks before trying again. Your body will tell you what it can handle.
Pairing HIIT with Recovery Practices
When fatigue is a factor, recovery is not optional. It is the period between HIIT sessions when your energy systems adapt and rebuild. Prioritise sleep above all else: this means addressing night sweats with appropriate clothing, bedding, and potentially medical support. Protein intake is critical for muscle repair and energy. Magnesium glycinate supports both sleep quality and energy metabolism. Gentle movement on recovery days, walking, yoga, or stretching, maintains blood flow and reduces stiffness without adding stress load. The combination of strategic HIIT and active recovery often produces better results than more frequent training.
Managing Expectations and Measuring Progress
The energy-boosting effects of HIIT build over four to six weeks of consistent practice. The first two to three weeks can actually feel harder as your body adapts. This is normal and does not mean HIIT is wrong for you. Keep a simple record of your energy levels each day to track the trend over time. Many women notice that their worst fatigue occurs in the days they do not exercise rather than the days they do, which is a useful insight. If your fatigue is not improving after several weeks of consistent gentle-to-moderate HIIT, revisit the underlying causes with your GP before increasing intensity.
Related reading
Get your personalized daily plan
Track symptoms, match workouts to your day type, and build a routine that adapts with you through every phase of perimenopause.